The gray clouds that cluster in the sky match Clint's mood, or maybe, he thinks, his life; dull and monotonous. Dreary.
He's unhappy and the atmosphere seems to know that, seems to sympathize, for it mirrors the death in his eyes and the clouds begin to weep.
Clint sits atop a black, leather throne with his secretary as his scribe and this skyscraper as his castle.
He works in said skyscraper in the middle of New York City, 12 hours a day, 60 hours a week. It's the same routine every day—the same as it's been since he started dating Chloe, aside from the fact that he's no longer in business school.
He gets up at 6, goes to the gym downstairs until 7, eats breakfast while Chloe sleeps, and takes the subway to work to be there by 8am.
At 8pm Clint leaves work, takes the subway home, eats dinner with Chloe, chats about menial things, and goes to bed by 11:30.
If asked, he knows exactly which movie he would choose to describe his life; Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray.
It was inevitable, really, that he would end up in a huge city, working one position below the CEO of one of the largest companies in the state.
He comes from a well off family that has a house in the Hamptons and was constantly surrounded by his four siblings growing up. As a middle child, Clint learned to care of himself, and so he strove to be the most successful, with good grades, looks, and a kind, yet sharp personality.
After graduating in the top ten percent of his high school class, Clint attended New York University and from there, continued on to business school.
He was a determined boy, motivated by his need to best the rest of his siblings. Although he certainly was no role model, improving his business skills as the go-to undergraduate for alcohol—but you had to know what you were getting into. Clint could be very tricky and very persuasive.
In his second year at business school, Clint met a girl named Chloe, with brown hair and brown eyes and a fair face that was neither beautiful, nor was it unsightly.
He'd had his fair share of girlfriends by then, and while she hadn't been the most attractive or the smartest, Chloe had been the most interesting, and so Clint almost fell in love with her.
When he thinks about it now, he knows he settled for Chloe. They've been together for almost three years now and Clint is the most unhappy he's ever been.
He thinks it's safe to assume that Chloe revealed her most interesting bits in order to get him to fall for her, but in doing so, she ran out of content and Clint was left with a Chloe that was stripped of new and exciting. He only stays with her for comfort. Because he knows that she'll always be there and he'd rather not make the mistake of breaking up with her only to be left alone in the world until his last, lingering breath.
Chloe is the mote and the bridge and the walls that surround him. She embodies every object that will not let him leave.
The apartment building they live in sits on the edge of Central Park, towering over the beautiful, urban space. It had been decided two and a half years before that they would live together, and so they reside in the penthouse that looks out of the park and beyond. Chloe had made the choice and Clint had and still has a more than sufficient amount of money saved up through his own labor, thank you very much.
Now their shared quarters are another thing keeping him with her; whenever he considers leaving, he thinks of the paperwork. How tedious.
Clint knows he should be grateful, though, he really does. He's got a girlfriend that loves him more than almost anything else in the world; an absolutely gorgeous living space with a breathtaking view; he's living in New York City, his favorite city in America; he's working at his dream job; and he's got enough money saved up to last him until twenty years after his death, yet he's only just turned 28.
But that's just it. He's just turned 28. His parents married when they were 25 and had him when they were his age. At this point in his life, the only thing he can actually seriously consider is how long he can get away with not proposing to Chloe.
He's bored and tired of his life but he's too much of a coward to do something about it—namely, break up with Chloe. Why complicate such a simple set up that's been established for years? He hates himself for it, hates Chloe, but he knows this is best for his success and so he stays frozen in a life that brings him nothing but misery.
Something changes though, on a Tuesday morning. The girl with the red hair and the bright eyes evokes something in Clint, causes sparks in his brain and his heart and for the first time in three years, Clint feels something other than discontent.
Thoughts of her keep the sparks going, create a burning in Clint that almost scares him, but he's like a man dehydrated and grasping at life. He'll do anything to be relieved and the girl with the red hair is his savior. His angel.
A/N: If you're confused, don't be. I changed the name from "Etched" to "Earth Angel" because I liked the new title better and it's also one of my favorite songs. It's by the Penguins if you were wondering. Anyways, I apologize for the delay, but finals are kicking my ass and I have 3 days left until I get to go home for almost a month! So here's the second chapter and I basically have the third one written so you can expect that in the next few days. Possibly in the next few hours. :-) Reviews are always appreciated and thanks for reading!
